Rail brace



- Ocnzz, 1929.

J. G. MUELLER RAIL BRACE Filed June 11, 1928 .lil

Patented Oct. 22, 1929 PATENT OFFICE JOHN G. MUELLER, OF DAYTON, OHIO RAIL BRACE Application filed .Tune 11',

This invention relates to a new and improved form of rail clamp and rail brace, adapted to be usedk in connection with the rails of a railway track. i

It is an object 'of this invention to provide rail clamps and braces that are few in parts and easily and readily applied to the rails, and removed therefrom, and when so applied firmly gripthe rails and hold the rails against sliding` and tilting motion. I i

It is also an object of this invention to provide a rail brace in combination with rail clamps, and having the parts so related to each other that they can be applied to the rail by a single operating means;

Itis a'further object to provide a device of this kind that may be readily applied' to tracks of various gauges and rails of various sizes.

In the accompanying drawings there is illustrated lone embodiment of the invention, but the applicant does lnot wish to be limited to that embodiment. p

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 shows a cross section of the rails of a railway track, with the clamping'means and brace attached thereto.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the clamping means and brace as applied to one rail.

In the drawings and in the specification like reference characters are used to designate similar parts.

The numeral 1 is used to designate the rails, which are supported on the conventional tie, not here shown. f 1

The numeral 2 represents a tie-rod having screw-threaded parts, designated by the numeral 3, on each end thereof to which the clamping and bracing devices are applied.

The main element of the clamping device is more or less circular in vertical section, as is shown by the figures, and embodies a clamping member, indicated by the numeral 4, and a hook member, designated by the numeral 6, Through this clamping member there is a circular opening, indicated by the numeral 5, which expands into a larger opening having vertical side walls, indicated by the numeral 7 At the point where the cir- 1928. Serial No. 284,390.

cular opening 5 merges into the opening 7, there is formed on the clamping member an inclined face, designated by the numeral 8, which is adapted to engage with a similarly inclined face on the wedging sleeve, designated by the numeral 9. The wedging sleeve has extending therethrough, substantially in line with the opening 5, an opening indicated by the numeral 10. Through each of these openings the tie-rod 2 passes, for thel purpose of holding the parts assembled to the rail.

On the wedging sleeve 9 there is an inclined surface, indicated by the numeral 11, adapted to engage with the inclined surface 8 on the clamping member to cause an upward movement of the wedging sleeve when forced against the clamping sleeve to produce a gripping action on the lower flange of the rail.

Fitting over the end of the screw part of the tie-rod there is a washer, indicated by the numeral 12, which has lips 13 adapted to be bentover, one to engage a surface on the wedging sleeve and the other to engage the flat surface of the nut 14. When these parts 13 engage the nut 14 and the wed'ging sleeve 9, the nut is held against rotation on the screw so that the parts are held in close gripping engagement with the rail.

The opening 10 through the sleeve 9 is oval in shape, with the long diameter thereof extending up and down, to permit free up and down movement of the sleeve on the tierod.

There has been here described one of the members adapted to grip one flange of the rail. Since each of the gripping members is of the same structure, the foregoing description is applied to each one of the gripping members shown in the figures, with'the eX- ception of the gripping members on the outer flange of the rail, which are slightly modified to adapt them to the use of the brace.

` On the' outer end of the wedging sleeve 9, which is applied to the outer flange of the rail, the surface is inclined for the purpose of permitting an inclined sliding motion of Vthe brace, lhereinafter described. There is also (intending upwardly from the hook memfcc ber 6 a guide member, indicated by the numeral 16. This guide member 16 is adapted to fit within a groove en the brace member, hereinafter described. The brace member is composed of a piece ot metal having an elongated hole in the end thereof for the purpose of receiving the end of the tie-rod. This hole is indicated bythe numeral 18.` The brace itself is indicated by the numeral 17.

The inside part or" the brace member is inclined and forms an inclined' bearing surface, indicated by the numeral 19, which engages the aforementioned inclined sui-tace 15 ot the wedging sleeve 9. Extending from the hole18 and toward the upper end of the brace, there is a groove, indicated by the nu meral' 21, adapted to receive the member 16 in suchl a way' that the brace may sli-de longitudinally et the brace thereon.

For the v purpose of holding the brace against turning there is provided a. lockwasher, indicated by the numeral 22, having lips formed thereon, indicated by the numeral 23, which are adapted to be bent down to engage the flat surface on thebrace 17 and the `hat surface on the side of the nut 24e, which engages the screw-threaded end of the tie-rod. Before the lip 23 is brought into engagement with the nut, the nut is turned upon said threaded part to force the brace andy the gripping elements intoiirm' engagement with; the rail.

By the brace structure. herein set out, there is provided? a brace yadapted to be adjusted to rails of different height and size, dueto the tactv that-the brace can move up and down and longitudinally ofthe tie-rod because of the peculiar nature of the opening through which the tie-rod'- passes.

While applicant has shown only one brace as applied to a rail, a similar brace may be applied to 'the outside part ot each rail ot the track. These braces are to be apo-lied on the outside ofthe rail for the purpose of preventing the spreading or turn-ing of the rail, due to pressure on the inside of the head of the rail. These braces, while they are more particularly adapted and intended to be used en the outside of curves, may be used any place where t-he rails need to be supported. By the use of devices of this kind, the rails arev very firmly held, the pressure upon the spikes is greatly relieved, andthe danger of wrecks froml the rails spreading is materially lessened. f

I desire to comprehend within my invention such modifications asmay be clearly embraced within my claims and the scope of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: y

1. Iny railway rail brace, clamping means for said rails, said clamping meanshaying a projection thereon` toz act as a guide, a brace means cooperating with said clamping means and engaging said guide for oblique motion in relation thereto for engaging the rail and bracing the rail, whereby strain isremoved 'from the clamping means.

` 2. In a railway rail brace, clamping means engaging the base of each rail, a guideon one of said clamping means, va brace means cooperating with said clamping means and guided upwardly by said guide to engage and brace the rail, and means cooperating with the clamping means and the guide` means to firmly grip the parts to the rail and hold them in gripped' relation.

3. In a railway rail brace, the combination with a tie-rod, gripping means mounted upon said tie-rod and engaging the rail, said gripping means having a guide thereon, a brace means mounted upon said tie-rod and adapted to have a vertical and longitudinal motion thereon and having a groove therein to engage the guide, and means on the tie-rod for bringing the clamping means linto engage-` ment with the rail' and the brace means into engagement with the head of the rail.

4. In a railway rail brace, the combination with a tie-rod, clamping means engaging the bases of said rails,guide means on said clamping means, brace means adapted to engage said tie-rod and guided by said guide means to engagel the rail, means to hold the brace means in engagement with the clamping means and the rail and so constructed that pressure on the head-engaging part of the brace means tends to tilt the brace means and thereby force the gripping means into tighter gripping relation with the rail".

5. Ina railway rail brace', the combination with a tie-rod, means on said tie-rod to clamp both sides of the base of a rail", means on said tie-rod to clampV the outside base flange of a second rail, means cooperating with said second clamp means and having vertical and horizontal movements in relation thereto to engage under the head of therail, and means cooperating with said' tie-rodl to force all of said' means into'engagement with the rails.

,6. In a railway rail brace, the combination with a tie-rod, means on said tie-rod t0 clamp the outside of the base of a rail, means on said tie-rod to clamp the inside and outside base of a second rail, means cooperating with said outside clamping means of said second rail and having horizontal and vertical movements in relation thereto to engage under Ythe head of said second rail, and means mounted on said tie-rod to force all of said means in engagement with therails.

7. Ina railway rail brace, the combination with a tie-rod, means on said tie-rod to engage the base of arailf, means on said tie-rod to clamp the outside base ange of a second rail,` means cooperating with said second means .adapted to move upwardly against the CFI rail to engage under the head of said second rail, and means mounted on said tie-rod to force the clamping means to grip the top, bottom and edge of said outside base Hange of said second rail and to force the second means under the head of said-second rail to keep the two rails in alignment and to pre vent tilting.

8. In a railway brace, a tie-rod, a clamping member engaging each rail and having an opening to receive the tie-rod, a wedging member coacting with each clamping member to grip the rail and having an elongated opening to receive the tie-rod, brace means having an elongated slot to receivethe tierod in sliding engagement with one of the wedging members, and means t0 force the clamping members, the wedging members and the brace means into engagement with each other to clamp and brace the rails.

9. In a railway rail brace, in combination with a tie rod, a clamping member on said tie rod adapted to extend under the base flange of a rail and engage the top thereof,

said clamping` member having a guide extension thereon, a wedging sleeve on said tie rod and cooperating with said clamping member to grip a rail, said sleeve having a guide surface on one end thereof in a plane substantially parallel to a similar plane on the guide extension, and a rail brace in engagement with said guide surfaces to engage under the head of the rail.

In testimon7 whereof, I affix my signature.

JOHN G. MUELLER. 

